Hatch construction



Au'g. 12, 1930. H. EJGRIESHABER HATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 4, 1928 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 II II I if I f m 6 y m II I III!!! I I H. E. GRI ESHABER mvrcn CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 4, 1928 Aug. 12, 1930.

2 Sheots$heet 2 A 0 7, fl 2 y m and more particularly to "the use of a diving V In the drawings Patented Aug. 12, 1930 a HUGO E. GRIESHABER, on NEW LONDON,

oomvnorxouwnssrenon TO ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANX, 0F GROTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF N J'ERSEY Heron ooivsrauforron Application filed September 4,1928; Serial NQ. 303,706.

This invention relates to submarine boats", an extensible hatch construction for such boats.

The use of the diving bell for submarine Work is well known; It is extremely diflicult, however, to use a diving bell for rescuing men entrapped in an injured submarine boat, or in'a submarine boatwhich for any other reason is submerged at an appreciable depth and is unable torise to the surface. This difficulty in using the, diving be'llflto rescue men from a submarine boat is due largely to the fact that submarine boatsof accepted design do not have any projections which would extend into the bell so as to GXClllClGflihG'WfltI' from the submarine upon opening of the hatch covers. f a 7 There are certain inherent advantages in working at great depth,

the bell upon the superstructure, ofasubma; rine above and about an escape hatch. It is the primary object of my invention to pro vide' a hatch construction for submarines having anextension tube which can be'ex tended'so as to project an appreciable dis tance upwardly beyond the superstructure into a diving'bell seated upon such-'superf 7 structure. In this manner the water is exeluded from the hatch upon opening thereof and the men entrappedinthesubmarine can pass therefrom through the hatch structure directly into the ject is to provide an extensible hatch structure of theich'aracter stated which can be readily applied to submarine boatsbf present design and Whichis of relatively simple and inexpensive constructiom F ,urther objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the detailed description." r

' Fig.1 is a sectional view ugh.a*hatch= construction in accordance with my inven tion, as applied, showing the extension tube thereof projected and the manner in whichv diving bell seat-.-

this tube cooperates with a ing upon the superstructure;

,"Fig; 2 is a section 7' line 3 3 ofFig. 1;

bell, particularly when such as its abilityto withstand high pressuresand its relatively wide open mouth which facilitates seating ,off

divingbelL- A further ob-- line 22 of Fig. 1 v v f Fig'. 3 is a section taken substantially on and -Fig. 4 is a fragmentary" detail sectional viewillustrating the means for effecting a tak n sub tantially o "water-tight closure between the' trunl: tube and the extension tube,

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a submarinebo'at of-known'type having a hull 1 and a superstructure 2. ,A hatchtrunk 3 extends through thehull 1" and issecured thereto in a known'jm'annen This tr unlr'is provided, at its innerrend and' at diametrical 1y opposite points thereof, ithtwo offsets Pockets s 5 .ar disposed withili P these ng secureewoa c,

these shafts 6 supported for rotation in asuitable manner, these shaftspassing out of the'hatch trunk 3 through suitable stuffing boxes 7.

The outer ends of the shafts have bevel gears f 8 secured "thereon and each shaft passes through a bearing structure 9, adj acentgear 8," this structure being carriedby one arm of a bracket 10 suitably secured to hatch trunk 3. Each'ofpthe brackets 10 is provided with a second arm carrying a bearing structure 11. An operating shaft l2'is rotatably mounted through the bearing structure 11 and is providedwithbevel gears 13 secured there on and' meshing with the gears 8, Ahand Wheel ltis secured upon one end of shaft 12; By turningshaft 12 the drums can be turned in desired directions;

A trunk tube 15 has its lower end secured inthe lower end of trunk 3 l in a suitableiman n'er.. This tube terminates short of the upper end of the trunk and tube is disposed inside of tube 15 in concentrio relation thereto and, whenin extended at the upper or outer end of trunk 3. This ring is surrounded-by a collar 18 and the ring and the collar are. secured in the upper end of trunk 3 in a suitable manner toeifecta pressure tight closuretherewith,-

v l 7 receives, in telescoping relation, MIBXlSBIlSlOIl, tube'l6. V This positiomifits snugly through an end ring 17 as by being accurately dressed and ,shru'nli intot e. endof the trunk, Ring '17 is pro 'vide dwith an upwardly extending lip or jacent the ends of the trunk can bead 19 which coacts with a packing member or gasket of a cover 20 for efliecting a fiuid tight closure of the upper end of the trunk. This cover is hinged upon the trunk and is moved into open or closed position from within hull l by means of an operating rod 21 having pin and slot connection with an arm extending from the cover. This rod and the manner of mounting and operating it is disclosed i in detail in my co-pen'ding application for escapeh'atch for submarines, No. 275,730, filed May 7, 1928, and need not be illustrated nor described herein in detail.- lVhen the cover 20 is closed, it is securedby suitable dogs or equivalent means in a known manner. A. cover 22is hingedly mounted upon the trunk 3 at theg lower end thereof and this cover is also secured closed by dogs or other suitable meansfor effecting a fluid tight closure betweenthe cover 22 and the inner end of the trunk, is well understood in the art.

' Two guide pulleys are suitably supported by brackets2 l, or in any other suitable manner, at the upper end of trunl; 3 and in ali nment with :thedrums 5. lVires'2 i, wh ch may be in the natureof light and readily tlexible steel cables, pass over the pulleys 23 and are secured to the drums 5, atone end, so .as to be windable onto and. off of the same. The other ends of these wires are suitably securedtto the extension tube 16 adloweror innerend thereof. lVhen the wires or cables 2 1 are wound uponthe drums the tube 16 is extended to project outwardly of the hull beyond the hatch trunk 3. By unwinding the cables from the drums the tube 16'isipermitted to move'downwardly inside ofthe tube into its full lowered or retracted positionl In this position the tube 16 is disposed withinthe trunk 3, thistube being of slightly less length than the trunk. YViththe tube 16in retracted position, the closure membersor'covers and for the beclosed and secured in closed'position. i I v Outwardmovernent of-tube 16 is limited by a stop mcmberi25 secured to the-inner face of tube 15' and extending inwardly ofthis tube radially thereof, this member having its upper portion turned inwardly and downwardly to form a channel element '26, The

inner flange of element- 26 is disposed to ,fit

into a cha-nnel element, 27 formed at the lower-endof tube 16 integrally therewitht. v is mounted in element A packing gasket 28 -27 and, cooperates with the inner flange of element 26 to effect aiwater-tight closure between the two tubes when the-tube; 16 is full extended IJOS11J1OIL- Inthis mannerythe means for limiting outward movement \oftube :a closure between -the" I two tubes. This closure need not be capable of resisting hi 16 also serves to effect v I h pressures since the pressure within the hul 1 isbuilt up so as to be equal Serial position '2 over and about the hatch trunk 3. After to the external water pressure before opening of the hatch covers and movement of tube 16 into extended position.

I have illustrated my invention as used in connection with a diving bell B 01": known type provided with a circular platform 1), air under pressure being supplied to this bell through a hose h in a known manner. An eye e is secured to the bell and receives a cable'c by means of which thebell is raised and lowered. In using my improved hatch construction, the bell B is first lowered into and seated upon the superstructure the bell has been properly positioned the occupants of the submarine boat are advised of this fact in any suitable manner and water is admitted to the trunk '3. any suitable valve arrangement may be employed, though I prefer to employ two valves, one operableezrteriorly of the hull by a diver for admitting thewater to the hatch trunk and the other operable from within the hull.

"It is thus possible, by using the two valves, for the diver to admit water to the hatch trunk to neutralize the pressure on the outer cover 20 in the event that theoccupants of the submarine are,v for, any reason, unable todo so. Under ordinary conditions, however, the occupants of the submarine would admit water to the trunk 3 to neutralize the pressure exerted by the water on the exterior surface; of cover20. After this is done, cover 20 is moved ntoopen position, cover 22 remaining closed and the tube 16 is raised into its fully extended position. In this position the tube 16 projects above the water line in bell B, as illustrated in Fig. 1. After the tube 16 has been fully extendeththe lower cover 22 is released and opened, discharging the water in the trunk and the tubeltl up to the level of the water. line in-thc bell B, into the hull 1. u he men then escape from the submarine through the trunk tube 15 and extension tube 16., by means of suitable'ladders 29 and 30, and are assisted by the men vin the bell B onto the platform bthereofyit being understood thatiseveral men are lowered with the bell initially to properly position the same and assist in the rescue of the men entrapped in the submarine. After all ofthemen from the submarine boat have entered the bell B this be'll is slowly raised to the surface and the air pressure in the bell is gradually redu'ced, in a known manner;

7 What I claim is 2- 7 V r 1. In combination in a submarine boat, a hatch trunk opening through I the} hull, a trunk tube fixed within the trunk, an extension tubetelescoping the trunk tube and movable outwardly thereof to project beyond the hull, rfimovable'c'losures forthe ends of the trunk, said-extension tube being disposed within the trunk when in retracted position,

means for opening: the outenclosure from For this purpose 7 within the hull, means for extending said extension tube from within the hull, and means for limiting outward movement of the extension tube and for effecting a water-tight closure between the tubes.

2. In combination in a submarine boat, a hatch trunk opening through the hull, a trunk tube fixed within the trunk, an extension tube telescoping the trunk tube and movable outwardly thereof to project beyond the hull, removable closures for the ends of the trunk, said extension tube being disposed withinthe trunk when in retracted position, and means for limiting outward movement of the extension tube and for efiectinga water tight closure between the tubes.

3. In combination in a submarine boat, a hatch trunk opening through the hull, a trunk tube within the trunk, an extension tube telescoping the trunk tube and fitting into the latter, the extension tube having an outwardly directed channel element at its inner end, a stop member projecting inwardly of the trunk tube radially thereof and extending toward the inner end of the trunk tube for engagement into said channel element, packing means cooperating with the channel and stop members i'or eifecting a water-tight closure therebetween when the extension tube is in its outermost position, said extension tube being disposed within the trunk whenretracted, and removable closures for the ends of the trunk. I

4;. In combination in a submarineboat, an access hatch structure opening through the hull, a tube telescoping the hatch structure and movable outwardly beyond the outer end thereof, means for limiting outward movement of the tube relative to the hatch structure and for effecting a closure between the tube and the hatch structure when the tube is extended, the tube being disposed within: the hatch structure when in retracted position, said tube being unobstructed and open at its ends and the hatch structure'being open at its ends, whereby ingress to and egress from the interior of the hull isflhad through the tube, and removable covers for the ends of the hatch structure.

5. In combinationin a submarine boat, an access hatch structure opening through the hull into a compartment thereof'and having its lower end adjacent the top of the comparte ment, a tube telescoping the hatch structure and movable outwardly beyond the outer end thereof, means for limiting outward move ment of the tube relative to the hatch structure and for effecting a closure between the tube and the hatch structure when the tube is extended, the tube being disposed within, the hatch structure when in retracted position, said tube being unobstructed and open at its ends and the hatch structure being open at its ends, whereby ingress to and egress from tube,and removable covers for the ends of p the hatch, structure.

6. In combination in a submarine boat, an

access hatch structure opening through the tube and the hatch structure when the tube is extended, the tube being disposed within the hatch structure when in retracted position,

said tube being unobstructed and open at its ends and the hatch structure being open at its ends, whereby ingress to and egress from, the interior of the hull is had through the tube, a removable cover for the outer end of the hatch structure and opening outboard,;

and a removable cover for the innerend of the hatch structure and opening inboard.

vIn Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of August, 1928.

HUGO E. GRIESHABER.

the interior of the hull is had through the I 

